Legislators in the Philippines debate proposed changes to party-list system

Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente Sotto III voiced concern over the proposed Party-List Reform Act, stressing that several provisions of the measure could undermine the original objective of the party-list system of giving representation to marginalized and underrepresented sectors. [ . . . ] He questioned the bill’s proposed allocation of 50 percent of party-list seats to national and regional parties, warning that it could weaken the constitutional mandate to prioritize marginalized groups. [ . . . ] Sotto warned that the proposal could come at the expense of sectors traditionally represented under the party-list system. “If this happens... there will be no more seats for labor, peasants, fisherfolk, or the urban poor,” the senator said.
Read the full article here: The Manila Times